Hiking is the most wonderful experience one can have in the middle of nature. Hiking around Kathmandu valley can be one of the most beautiful experience one can have. There are various hiking places around Kathmandu valley where you can go for a day hike and take an off from a busy day to day life. Kathmandu to Chisopani hiking is one of the nearest and satisfying hikes around the Kathmandu valley.
Combined with the best view of nature along with the beautiful and incredible local village, views of Himalayas Kathmandu to Chisopani hike can be a wonderful day journey. This hike is an ideal vacation for weekends to get out of a stressful and tiring day in the city.
Kathmandu to Chisopani Hiking
Chisopani Hiking is the up and down stairs from Sundarijal to Chisopani which makes the muscle ache but it is worth it. The northern part of the Kathmandu valley rises to the dense forest up in the hill. The forest and the hills are the part of Shivapuri national park which was declared in 2002 to protect the 177 species of birds and various species of orchids.
The main source of water for the Kathmandu valley is the Melamchi river which lies in this national park. This national park above the sundarijal is the highest woodland area near the valley. This forest contains some of the incredible wild animals such as barking deer, monkeys, mongoose, civets, reptiles and even leopards. This national park is spread in the area of 159 square kilometers and consists of dense jungle with numerous species of wild animals. Two sacred and holy rivers Vishnumati and Bagmati pass through this national park with their origin inside the national park. The highest point of the Shivapuri national park is at 2732 meters above the sea level and is the second highest valley. Hiking in this national park to the Chisopani is popular among the locals and tourists.
The best, easy and most popular way to reach Chisopani is to hike from Sundarijal. The pathway to Chisopani starts from the foothills of Shivapuri national park at the northeast of the Kathmandu valley. One needs to reach Sundarijal at first to start the hike. You can reach Sundarijal with a direct bus from Ratnapark.
You can find various shops, restaurants, and cafes nearby the bus stops. You can prepare for hiking buying some food items and water for the hike near the bus stop. The trekking trail starts after the 10 minutes walk from the bus stop following the water pipeline which goes up to the hill.
You need to know well that this hiking trail is 90 percent uphill and reaches to the maximum elevation of 2430 meters. Chisopani is 300 meters downhill the highest point of this Chisopani hiking trail. Walking on this trail is not much difficult and it takes around four to five hours to complete this hike. This trail is filled with some of the best views of hills around the Kathmandu valley. The hiking trail is nicely maintained with paved and smooth steps along with some best pleasant environment with green and beautiful vegetation around.
Once you cross the small dam beside the old hydro plant which is the main drinking water source of Kathmandu valley, you will proceed upwards along with the forest of national flower rhododendron at the entrance of the national park. The entrance fees to enter the national park is different for people of different nations. The price for Nepalese national is NPR 60 and for foreign national, it’s NPR 500 as of now. Any non-Nepalese citizens who want to visit inside this national park or hike to Chisopani via this park need to show their passport along with the national entrance ticket.
The first place is the Mulkharka village which is the first destination of this Chisopani hiking trail. This village is spread in the total area of one kilometer and is a Tamang village which has homes made of mud and stone. The houses are two-storeyed with bright color ochre which makes them remarkable besides the beautiful terraced fields. If you are trekking during November which is the peak season of hiking, you can observe the houses of this village fenced with orange marigolds. You can also witness the man and woman of this village wearing their traditional Tamang attire. The people of Mulkharka mainly involved in farming and honey harvesting. This village consists of a few small tea shops and cafes which serve typical Nepali dishes.
The Shivapuri hill starts once you leave the Mulkharka village. The common tree of this forest is chir pine which goes from 1000 meters to 1800 meters elevation. Other vegetation of this forest is alder, Himalayan cherry, and ring-cupped oak. The northern slopes of this forest contain oak, laurel, and rhododendron. The forest walk is quite pleasant with beautiful birds sound and incredible green vegetation. There is some resting point built by Nepal Environment and tourism initiative where hikers can take some breath and enjoy the fantastic view. The peak point of this hiking trail is at 2430 meters known as Burlang Bhanjyang. Chisopani is 300 meters downhill descent and 40 minutes walk from the highest point.
Chisopani is the place with a collection of hotels and chalets beside the army post. You can enjoy the glorious views of Mountain peaks of Annapurna range, Langtang range, Dorje Lhakpa, Gauri Shankar and various others. If the weather is clean, you can also have the view of the highest peak, Mount Everest.
Chisopani is a cool place situated above the hill. The temperature goes down once the sun sets. The hotels and lodges of this place are cozy and give you the best option for rooms with a budget range from NPR 250 to NPR 500 per night. You can get a better room at a higher price. Try to book the room prior you reach Chisopani by a tour and travel company if you are planning to visit this place on weekends.
Once you are in Chisopani and you have seen the sunset and sunrise is time to go, what can you do there? Well, you can go for a short walk. You can walk towards the Helambu village and Langtang trail to the nearby cheese factory where you can have a taste of locally made cheese. Also, you can go back to the peak of the Shivapuri peak but do remember, you need to pay money for that.
Most of the hikers return back to the Sundarijal through the same stone paved and staired route. The returning is quite simple and can be done in less than half-time of that taken to hike to the Chisopani. It is a wonderful short hike for everyone who wants to skip from the day to day of city life and have some moments of peace within the nature. Hike to Chisopani is a perfect for everyone who wants to go for a hike but due to time limitations, they are postponing it. One can even hike to Chisopani and return back the same day too. But it is recommended to stay there to see the beautiful sunrise which is an amazing experience from Chisopani.
Also, Chisopani hiking is a great way to get yourself close to the Himalayas while being close to the capital city. It is the best hiking option for everyone who wants to rejoice in the lap of nature without traveling for a longer distance. Chisopani Hiking gets you out of an urban environment and takes you into the natural one with hills, forests, waterfalls and the diverse terrain of the country within short time. Walking along the up and down trail in the Shivapuri National Park along with the watershed listening to melodious voice of birds fills you with the ambience and the pleasure of life. The views of incredible Himalayan peaks on the trail is one of the most exoctic part of this hike.
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